20-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was denied entry into Australia and his visa was cancelled upon arrival in Melbourne late on Wednesday night. Djokovic, who was in town to defend his title at the Australian Open, failed to provide appropriate medical evidence and vaccination documents to meet the entry requirements of Australia.
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Australian Premiere Scott Morrison said that rules are rules and the government would stick to its strong border protection policies. Since the entry visa requires double vaccination or a medical exemption, the Prime Minister confirmed that Djokovic did not have the medical exemptionAs a result, the Serbian was forced to spend 8 hours at the airport as his lawyers prepared to appeal against the decision. He was then taken to a hotel in Melbourne for quarantine as his father alleged that his son is being held as a captive by the Australian government.